Ronda police chief relieved after mayor’s slay

CEBU CITY – The police chief of Ronda town has been relieved from his post following the murder of Mayor Mariano Blanco III Wednesday.

Sr. Insp. Jay R Palcon and at least five of his men were reassigned to the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).

“We are still verifying who are the policemen on duty at the time. But initially, six policemen, including the town police chief have been relieved,” said Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of the Central Visayas police.

Sinas said the town police failed to respond after four gunmen barged into the office of Blanco in the town hall and killed him.

“There are allegations that they (police) did not respond. We are relieving them to check if they committed some lapses. This is normal police procedure. It doesn’t mean that we are already blaming the police,” Sinas said.

Sr. Supt. Manuel Abrugena, chief of Cebu Provincial Police Office, the policemen who were on duty during the attack said they were unsure if what they heard were gunfire since it was raining hard at the time.

Some policemen were also not in the station because they were serving an arrest warrant, Aburgena said.

A special investigation task group has been created to investigate the killing.

“We are already coordinating with the mayor’s relatives. So far, we have not identified any individual who could be behind the killing,” said Sinas.

Politics, personal grudge and allegations linking Blanco to the illegal drug trade are being looked into, he said.

“The way the attack was carried out, it was really well-planned,” added Sinas.

The municipal hall was about 10 meters from the police station.

Vice Mayor Rocky Gabatan has called on the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to solve the killing, which happened about seven months after Blanco’s nephew, Jonah John Ungab, was killed in Cebu City.

Ungab was the town’s vice mayor when he was ambushed shortly after he attended a court hearing of his client, the self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

Gabatan has assumed as the town’s acting mayor while the permanent replacement of Blanco is yet to be named.

Maria Loisella Lucino, assistant regional director of the Department of Interior and Local GovernmentCentral Visayas, said Blanco’s replacement should come his party.

“The important process is the party nomination. Certification should be signed by the highest-ranking official of the party. The nomination will be submitted to the governor for the appointment,” said Lucino.

Lucino said the replacement should take oath right away to avoid hampering operations at the municipal hall.